Artillery-ammunition package.



J. A. STEINMETZ.

ARTILLERY AMMUNITION PACKAGE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 4. I915. 1,21 8,814, Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

. anventox MV/ M ill/a JOSEPH A. S'IEINME'IZ. OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

AR'IILLERY-AMMUNITION PACKAGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

Application filed September 4, 1915. Serial No. 49,134.

To all whom it may. concern.-

Be it known that I, 'JosEPrrAr STEINMETZ, a citizen of the United States, residing'at' Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artillery-Ammunition Packages,of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

In the transportation of small artillery shells it is customary to inclose several, often eight, in a heavy iron bound box of wood provided with a hinged cover and with heavy internal wood plates to space. the shells apart and with devices for protecting the fuses at the ends of the shells. The boxes are heavy, occupy far more than twice the space occupied by the shells alone, are neither water nor heat proof, are of no use when emptied at the front, fail to satisfactorily protect the shells during rough handling, andaliord no certain means for knowing without opening the box whether it contains dead ammunition or shells ready for use. Moreover, when for any reason the box cannot be taken to the battery, the shells when removed are unprotected and acci dents often occur in handling them and carrying them forward. To remedy these evils is the object of this invention and to this end each shell is inclosed in a distinct case which, for shipping, is secured to other like cases to form a compact whole wherein each case reinforces the others and aids in making a practically rigid package without material voids.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a package of shells ready for shipment, a portion I of one end cap being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of an individual case containing a shell in condition for firing.

Fig. 3 is an end view of a casing looking from the left in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a like'view of the opposite end of the casing.

Fig. 5 is a partial section like Fig. 2 but showing the shell with a screw plug substituted for the fuse.

Fig. 6 is an analogous section showing a handle differing from that seen in Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a lan view of a case provided with opening evices. I

Figs. 8, 9, 10 show the ends of cases wh ch are circular, triangular, and hexagonal, re-

spectively, instead of square likethose shown m-F1 s-1, 3, 4. v a

In these views, A, A, A A represent cases. preferably of wood or molded incombustible material, internally cylindrical and externally square so that they may be piled to form a symmetrical package of suitable size, or as shownin Fig. 1, containing sixteen shells. Over each end of the shell is placed a closely fitting cap or cup B of thin pressed steel or the like, which is secured in place by suitable means. 6. g. staples 0 passmg through the cap into the cases. The cases are cut away as shown at D to form hand holds to be engaged by suitable appliances.

Each case may contain a closely fitting shell E held between blocks F and G at opposite ends of the case.

The inner face of the block F is centrally recessed so that it may not press centrally upon the end of the shell, and the block G is similarly provided with a deeper recess to receive and protect the fuse point when live shells are shipped. The block F is remov ably held in place by any suitable means, shown in this instance as a sort of cotter pin H. The block G is held in place by a detachable handle consisting of a coiled wire J having alining end portions which project into recesses in the walls of the case as shown at J and thus bar the outward movement of the block. The handle may be rotated about the axis of these end portions so that the loop or coil will lie upon the outer end face of the block out of harms way.

The block G is made of such length that when reversed its non-recessed end face is in position to retain a shell in which the active point is replaced by a screw plug as shown in Fig. 5. It is to be noted that each case having such reversed block shows for itself that the shell within cannot bear the active point or fuse member since the recess for that member is exposed and can be recognized at a glance or'by touch when light is lacking.

Fig. 6 shows a modified form of handle in which the case engaging ends are turned inward instead of outward, and long enough to pass through the case into the path of the block Gr.

The wall of each case is provided with one or more steel Wires L lying in channels L (Fig. 3) and provided with projecting terminal loops. In case of necessity the cases may rial the shells are thus protected against water and also against any heat which is not high and long continued. They are: thus well adapted for shipping by land or water, and the shells are not affected by sinking in the water or burying in the earth.

Obviously the end caps may be removed by the use of any of many common implements, even a spade serving perfectly.

It is important that when the cases are separated each shell is well protected and be handled, dragged over rough places and even be thrown about with little danger of injury or explosion. Since in the package each case is supported by its companions it may be comparatively thin, and each package, as approved by artillery ofiicers, is slightly less in cubic contents than the standard box containing half the number of shells and now being made by millions. 7

It may be added that each package furnishes at the front two shallow steel pans and many tubes which if of wood may serve as already prepared fuel, and whether of wood or not may be used as drain tiles. in the trenches, or as trench periscope tubes if two bits of mirror or two pocket mirrors can be had.

What I claim is:

1. A tubular shell case having in one end a removable block centrally recessed to receive and protect an active point on a shell contained in the case and adapted whenrelacks such point.

desired. If the cases be made of magversed to press the endof a like shell which 2. A casingfor an artillery shell consisting of a rigid non-metallic tube adapted to fit the shell closely and project beyond its ends, combined with a reversible and removable block secured in one end of the casing, recessed centrally at one of its ends to receive and protect the active point of a shell and adapted when reversed to press the end of the same shell without such point.

3. A tubular casing for an artillery shell.

having remova'bly secured in and fully clos= ing one end a reversible shell-holding block which in one position protects an activeshell-point and in reverse position occupies the place of such point and conclusively shows that the shell is dead or without-such active point.

4. The combination with a set of like externally square wood tubes forming a compact mass and eachclosed by suitable blocks, of cup-like suitable caps fitting over the ends of the mass, respectively, and projecting from the marginal flanges of each cap into the portions of the tubes which the flanges overlap and securing the caps in place.

5. An entirely closed, rigid non-metallic shell case consisting of a tubular body adapted to fit and project at each end beyond a shell to be incased, blocks fitting in the projecting end portions of the body and each centrally recessed to prevent contact with axial portions of the shell, readily operable means for securing and releasing the block at'the base of the shell, and a folding case handle serving also as a manually operated device for securing and releasing the block at the point of the shell.

In testimony whereof I aihx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

v JOSEPH A. STEINMETZ. Witnesses:

MIDA W. SAWYER, GLADYS L. FERNALD. 

